New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Previously on The Amazing Race, a team finished in last place for the second time. The next sentence we write is infuriating to us. They’re still not eliminated. The worse news is that it’s not somebody that we’d like to see hanging around in the competition. It’s team Crying Jag, the saddest sacks in the sack race. After being saved three episodes ago, the mother/son team of Sheri & Cole edged their way up to fifth place in the following leg. Alas, this brief run of almost-competence proved illusory last week, when they again finished in last out of all remaining teams. It was a non-elimination leg. We hate this show and everything it stands for.

The other noteworthy event from the episode was the implosion of engaged choreographers Dana & Matt. If The Amazing Race handed out technical fouls, she’d be suspended through the playoffs. We’re not even clear on what upset her so much. All we know for certain is that it was entirely Matt’s fault and he should feel deeply ashamed of himself for some reason. Matt, buddy, listen to our special message: In the immortal words of the Northern Pikes, “she ain’t pretty, she just looks that way.” There are other women in skin-tight dance outfits, dude.

Our first team to leave this evening is once again the Frisbee duo Brodie & Kurt. They have now one exactly half of the legs thus far. Quietly lost in their dominance is an emerging challenger. Burnie & Ashley, aka Team Rooster Teeth, have finished second in three consecutive legs and top three in five out of the last seven. They’re peaking at the right moment, which is precisely what Kelsey & Joey, the news anchors, did on their way to victory last season. Pacesetters don’t always fare well on The Amazing Race.

Tonight’s first clue is sending teams 4,600 miles around the world to Bali, Indonesia. Once they arrive, they’ll go to the most photographed temple in the region to retrieve their next instructions. Presumably, because of the distance, everyone will be bunched together on one plane, which means that Sheri & Cole get no big disadvantage for the non-elimination. Admittedly, the Speedbumps have been more difficult in recent seasons.

The guys bemoan the fact that they used their Express Pass, though it’s unlikely to come back to bite them nearly as badly as last year’s Tanner & Josh, who allowed their obsession with Green Team Justin & Diana to distract them into using it at precisely the wrong time. Interestingly, Burnie & Ashley note that they are the only team that knows Brodie & Kurt had to use their Express Pass. We’re not sure what the tactical benefit is to them not sharing that info with the other teams, so we’ll be curious to see how Rooster Teeth plays this.

We see a brief glimpse of airport drama, but it’s fake. All teams will be on the same flight. It’s really starting to get aggravating to see teams build solid leads to no avail. We appreciate that the producers want the Race to be competitive, but we also want to see people get what they deserve.

Continued:       1       2       3       4